Payment of reasonable program administrative costs and carrying charges related to the planning and execution of community development activities assisted in whole or in part with funds provided under this part and, where applicable, housing activities (described in paragraph (g) of this section) covered in the recipient's housing assistance plan. This does not include staff and overhead costs directly related to carrying out activities eligible under §570.201 through §570.204, since those costs are eligible as part of such activities.

(a) General management, oversight and coordination. Reasonable costs of overall program management, coordination, monitoring, and evaluation. Such costs include, but are not necessarily limited to, necessary expenditures for the following:

(1) Salaries, wages, and related costs of the recipient's staff, the staff of local public agencies, or other staff engaged in program administration. In charging costs to this category the recipient may either include the entire salary, wages, and related costs allocable to the program of each person whose primary responsibilities with regard to the program involve program administration assignments, or the pro rata share of the salary, wages, and related costs of each person whose job includes any program administration assignments. The recipient may use only one of these methods during the program year. Program administration includes the following types of assignments:

(i) Providing local officials and citizens with information about the program;

(ii) Preparing program budgets and schedules, and amendments thereto;

(iii) Developing systems for assuring compliance with program requirements;

(iv) Developing interagency agreements and agreements with subrecipients and contractors to carry out program activities;

(v) Monitoring program activities for progress and compliance with program requirements;

(vi) Preparing reports and other documents related to the program for submission to HUD;

(vii) Coordinating the resolution of audit and monitoring findings;

(viii) Evaluating program results against stated objectives; and

(ix) Managing or supervising persons whose primary responsibilities with regard to the program include such assignments as those described in paragraph (a)(1)(i) through (viii) of this section.

(2) Travel costs incurred for official business in carrying out the program;

(3) Administrative services performed under third party contracts or agreements, including such services as general legal services, accounting services, and audit services; and

(4) Other costs for goods and services required for administration of the program, including such goods and services as rental or purchase of equipment, insurance, utilities, office supplies, and rental and maintenance (but not purchase) of office space.

(b) Public information. The provisions of information and other resources to residents and citizen organizations participating in the planning, implementation, or assessment of activities being assisted with CDBG funds.

(c) Fair housing activities. Provision of fair housing services designed to further the fair housing objectives of the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3601-20) by making all persons, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status or handicap, aware of the range of housing opportunities available to them; other fair housing enforcement, education, and outreach activities; and other activities designed to further the housing objective of avoiding undue concentrations of assisted persons in areas containing a high proportion of low and moderate income persons.

(d) [Reserved]

(e) Indirect costs. Indirect costs may be charged to the CDBG program under a cost allocation plan prepared in accordance with 2 CFR part 200, subpart E.

(f) Submission of applications for federal programs. Preparation of documents required for submission to HUD to receive funds under the CDBG and UDAG programs. In addition, CDBG funds may be used to prepare applications for other Federal programs where the recipient determines that such activities are necessary or appropriate to achieve its community development objectives.

(g) Administrative expenses to facilitate housing. CDBG funds may be used for necessary administrative expenses in planning or obtaining financing for housing as follows: for entitlement recipients, assistance authorized by this paragraph is limited to units which are identified in the recipient's HUD approved housing assistance plan; for HUD-administered small cities recipients, assistance authorized by the paragraph is limited to facilitating the purchase or occupancy of existing units which are to be occupied by low and moderate income households, or the construction of rental or owner units where at least 20 percent of the units in each project will be occupied at affordable rents/costs by low and moderate income persons. Examples of eligible actions are as follows:

(1) The cost of conducting preliminary surveys and analysis of market needs;

(2) Site and utility plans, narrative descriptions of the proposed construction, preliminary cost estimates, urban design documentation, and “sketch drawings,” but excluding architectural, engineering, and other details ordinarily required for construction purposes, such as structural, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical details;

(3) Reasonable costs associated with development of applications for mortgage and insured loan commitments, including commitment fees, and of applications and proposals under the Section 8 Housing Assistance Payments Program pursuant to 24 CFR parts 880-883;

(4) Fees associated with processing of applications for mortgage or insured loan commitments under programs including those administered by HUD, Farmers Home Administration (FmHA), Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA), and the Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA);

(5) The cost of issuance and administration of mortgage revenue bonds used to finance the acquisition, rehabilitation or construction of housing, but excluding costs associated with the payment or guarantee of the principal or interest on such bonds; and

(6) Special outreach activities which result in greater landlord participation in Section 8 Housing Assistance Payments Program-Existing Housing or similar programs for low and moderate income persons.

(h) Section 17 of the United States Housing Act of 1937. Reasonable costs equivalent to those described in paragraphs (a), (b), (e) and (f) of this section for overall program management of the Rental Rehabilitation and Housing Development programs authorized under section 17 of the United States Housing Act of 1937, whether or not such activities are otherwise assisted with funds provided under this part.

(i) Whether or not such activities are otherwise assisted by funds provided under this part, reasonable costs equivalent to those described in paragraphs (a), (b), (e), and (f) of this section for overall program management of:

(1) A Federally designated Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community; and

(2) The HOME program under title II of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 12701 note).

[53 FR 34439, Sept. 6, 1988; 53 FR 41330, Oct. 21, 1988, as amended at 54 FR 37411, Sept. 8, 1989; 60 FR 56912, Nov. 9, 1995; 69 FR 32778, June 10, 2004; 80 FR 69870, Nov. 12, 2015; 80 FR 75937, Dec. 7, 2015]